Washington Wizards should think about John Wall’s ink before signing him to a max deal

Washington Post | Jun 25

Wizards point guard John Wall hasn’t proven himself on the basketball court. And apparently, Wall still is a bit of a mystery off of it, too.

Posing shirtless recently for an Instagram photo, Wall revealed several tattoos. Wall’s interest in body art is surprising, considering he previously said he did not have tattoos because of concerns over his image for marketing reasons. Many NBA players do have tattoos, and Wall isn’t breaking new ground in sharing his ink with fans through social media.

But not every player flip-flops on a topic in such a public way. Factor in that Wall is expected to receive a huge payday from the Wizards next month, and the timing of his tattoo revelation raises questions about his decision making. For a franchise with a history of backing the wrong players, that’s food for thought.

This isn’t about the merits of body art. Wall, 22, has the right to put whatever he wants on his body, and one of the advantages of youth is that you can reinvent yourself. As the face of the Wizards’ franchise, however, Wall is going to be scrutinized more than the last man on the bench. He’s always under the microscope.

Judging by his new look, Wall, who declined an interview request Monday through the team, might not be as concerned as he once was about appealing to a wide audience. In interviews before the 2010 draft, Wall made a point of presenting the type of clean-cut image teams want from college players to whom they’re considering giving millions of dollars.

The Wizards, then trying to dig out from the Gilbert Arenas mess, needed the straightest arrow possible with the No. 1 overall pick. Wall’s public comments were refreshing. Wall also conducted himself appropriately when the curtain was drawn. Basically, Wall was the anti-Arenas. The summer after he was drafted, Wall continued to make all the right moves, telling The Post’s Michael Lee, “When I first cut my hair and all that and didn’t get any tattoos, that was the main thing, having a clean image . . . to help you to be more marketable.”